Insurance regulator approves transfer of HDFC Life shares to HDFC Bank

India's insurance regulator has approved HDFC Ltd's move to transfer its near 49% stake in its life insurance unit to HDFC Bank. The HDFC-HDFC Bank merger is set to close next month and the approval from the insurance regulator is a key step ahead of their merger. As part of the merger, HDFC Ltd was required to transfer its units to HDFC Bank. HDFC had announced a $40 billion deal last year to merge with the top private lender.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has also allowed HDFC Ltd to raise its stake in HDFC Life to more than 50%. Post-merger, HDFC Bank will have a majority stake in the insurer, allowing the bank to show it as a subsidiary and consolidate its earnings.

Earlier this week, the Competition Commission of India had approved HDFC Limited (one of the promoters of the Company) to increase its stake in HDFC Life to more than 50%.


The Reserve Bank of India has permitted the transfer of shareholding of HDFC Limited in HDFC Life, in terms of the merger scheme, to HDFC Bank and advised that HDFC Limited or HDFC Bank should increase the
shareholding in HDFC Life to more than 50% prior to the effective date of the scheme.

Earlier this week, BPEA EQT and ChrysCapital agreed to buy a 90% stake in Housing Development Finance Corporation's education finance arm HDFC Credila for Rs 9,060 crore. This is India's largest-ever private equity (PE) buyout in the financial services sector.

The sale will help HDFC to adhere to the mandated regulatory requirements before its merger with HDFC Bank. The Reserve Bank of India had asked HDFC to reduce its shareholding in HDFC Credila to 10% within two years of the effective date of the merger.

In addition to buying out HDFC Credila, the PE firms will also infuse Rs 2000 crore.